By PERRY GARFINKEL

July 26, 2014

Lucas M. Evans, 27, drives a car in Los Angeles for Uber, the ride-sharing service, while pursuing a career as a film producer.

When did you start driving for Uber?

I started earlier this year. I had driven for a traditional taxicab company in Westchester County in New York, where I lived before I moved to Los Angeles almost seven years ago.

Why did you decide to drive for Uber instead of a traditional cab service?

With Uber, you don’t have to deal with a dispatcher; it’s between you and the passenger. And there is no money exchange; it’s all handled through the app with a credit card, including tips. For myself, the biggest plus is that I can define my own hours, as opposed to doing set shifts for cab companies.

For those not familiar with Uber, can you briefly describe how it works?

Passengers who have the Uber application on their smartphone can post a message requesting a ride. The driver closest to the passenger has up to 15 seconds to accept the request or not. The passenger also sees the driver’s name and location and can decide whether to accept the ride. It feels a little like a TV game show when you have to hit the buzzer quickly or lose your turn.

How do the passenger and driver know if the other is trustworthy?

It’s all about the rating system. When I see passengers’ requests on my phone, I see their star rating and they see mine. The star system is based on passengers’ assessment of the driver’s service; drivers base it mostly on passengers’ courteousness. Lowest is 1, highest is 5.

What’s your rating?

Mine is 4.8. I think I lost some points when one woman felt I had not listened when she suggested I could take Olympic or Wilshire Boulevard to her destination, rather than get on the freeway. I didn’t realize her “suggestion” was actually her preference.

Do you fear that film executives might think you’re not serious enough about finding film work because you drive for Uber?

Not at all. I think it shows I am willing to do anything to stay afloat while I try to line up the right script with directors, producers and actors. There’s a time-honored tradition in Hollywood of people doing all sorts of odd jobs while waiting to be discovered.

Vocations asks people about their jobs. Interview conducted and condensed by Perry Garfinkel.